The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedK8MQgIZ5
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbLa50McAl
Even though Juke and I weren't affected, the other's faces were considerably downtrodden. Some members were now left without a partner and had to team up with people they weren't very familiar with. Morale was low, especially since our leaders were missing.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZYNDN61nP
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvJvEWjcJg
The remaining group was small, too. Only about eight people were left, meaning that, with the five remaining floors, some were simply required to take them alone. There was chatter of moving as a single unit, taking on each room as a whole rather than having forces split from the group, but others countered that doing so would be abandoning an order and that we had to "trust our other members."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEw7JHrIiM3
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmiTHRyGPb
As for me, my nerves only spiked. The image of all those fallen bringers was engraved into my mind, and I desperately tried to keep the word "corpse" out of my head. Over and over, telling myself that they were simply unconscious when the right side of my mind constantly told me otherwise–
**SLAP**262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vTnvPl9U6
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3ZC6Dtc59
"Ack!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVxE78j5Mr
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwJBdhPZOT
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzX4fGMkxCo
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZdZNqrmvH
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawtFCfKV5k
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyTJ2ZkHho
I steeled whatever I had left of my resolve and kept trudging through the stairs. I had a complete vision of the crowd, and it made it apparent just how thinned out it had become. To my great dismay, I could even see Rover.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWeuCE2ZJP
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8TtIwG8kt
"...Useless–!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKup3Qo9oNy
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3ueAwHONw
I tried not to think about anything that. I knew I couldn't suspend it for long, but every second I could force my legs forward was valuable. So I ran and ran and ran and ran and–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMsdxzVL4e
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vj5jr4A24
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UVeYaEbsZ
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MLEiHYtcJ
And it was someone I recognized262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lRLgGruRI
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzR3UtqCQKD
–
–
–
The most grueling part of this siege hadn't been the laborious running. It hadn't been the various enemies, the threat of death or even seeing allies fall like flies in the previous ambush. No, for Rover, it was restraint.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ajPe47N3J
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HBRPTEGB7
To do nothing in the face of Hard-Bringer gave her near-uncontrollable rage. Those she swore she'd see crumble, running amok and stealing lives as they always have, unable to even point her weapon at them. If it weren't for those looming words by that wimpy child, resting in the corners of her mind like spiders, she would've caved in.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4M2f34eVDL
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnqH0HMQF1
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡer5okgP1vV
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjADvX8JFeT
"Hi."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJh7qijBUH
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1TaidsOSd
As she raced up the steps, a man in glasses only a little taller announced himself. She could see him facing her in her peripheral, and though her habits urged her not to, she matched his gaze.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6f85rpkn4t
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgCOgmXvlc
"What!?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAnkOmnudE
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgjRIpR9Zv
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VSU3yCeT2
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNwVklpiTm
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNR8oDSO5tu
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZNpy7CR6z
His nervous expression didn't loosen one bit. When Rover tried a softer face, the sweat on his brow multiplied. Rover gave up appearances, quickly discarding dismissive dialogue before her introduction.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8s4aOHFAO
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnaLwNIC74
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmGWeEqox2
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdeS2M0A9C
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfezexmt7Kr
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYOl8WRfNe
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdsuv6r8bW
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ963LAzuEdz
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRFoA9uOQy
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0gY5VVgPi
He raised his right hand, one that clutched a metal collar with a tag. Rover knew immediately who it belonged to, and the unusual idea of consolement entered her mind.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QLTBBwJFJ
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZ9VO6UprQ
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwrzzidYvq
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutHvaN2XxT
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzO3mnetSlL
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1GxzlIZGL
He kept a smile with those words, but his eyes lacked the light to convince her. He turned his head away, and the two of them kept running up with their usual worries.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneOBoSmkne
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfv27MOIUs
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1D7eYWRjC
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTwToVDfsS
"The next room's up ahead!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBW9IBPW3zJ
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkEvBO98Fw
She had been in this scene nearly a dozen times already. And each time, she dreaded it. Sprinting to that door, knowing that there would be a monster in man's skin. She swallowed that dread like before, and each time, it poisoned her blood further and further.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWMckDhF82
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXNbNjRfEO
The crowd made it to the room. It was relatively small, but an immediate feature was the giant stained windows, granting a tinted view of the city outside. Rover gave minimum attention to the stature of the room, however, because there, by the exit, sat a man who could only be described as–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2R4tdEzzfs
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSJoQ15mVb
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrsDJL6Tuh
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvZ5nHjQgD
Rover glanced behind her, realizing that Juke was the one to yell that. She saw Kenny near him, huffing with his hands on his kneecaps.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrL4N1pPYD3
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsF2LVREkN
A titan. It was a familiar word. She heard it from the stories her mother told her. But, of course, there were no titans in King's Peak, only tales of them.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPD0yWK9ho
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeMajGXOHT
But, even if it was only in name, the titan a man was. A member of Hard-Bringer with such size, and his head nearly reached the ceiling when he stood. Such monstrous height intimidated nearly everyone, but for Rover, it was the opposite.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5c7KlRKVu
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmu43Dsd1M
Rover recognized that height. Rover recognized that build, even though it was concealed by robes, and as the man went to pull his hoodie down, the face that appeared only confirmed her intuition.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5s6FzGZZh1
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gpkFUaHhc
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmITFENDxMK
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5DYCWYkEx
The towering man stopped his speech, compelled by the dashing girl with a rapier in hand. She leaped forward and stuck her foot out, but the man blocked the kick by raising his arm. Rover then thrust her blade, and the man narrowly dodged by tilting his head. However, his angled head was grabbed by her free arm, and through a feat unexpected of her size–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6cYZyH4yi
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBREjaudMDF
**THUD**262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVxq5GNPQs
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR69EmUphCs
She shoved the man down to the ground. She immediately followed with a thrust, but she only caught his robe, and the man scurried away.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6OWAJkDCA
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEiiwRJ8pd
"...Same tricks as always."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObZSAGBHyk
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbLJl486Ye
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TVRc0LRX6
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxHXlgo2bg
"Hoh– it is you. You!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetPZ2Cvcwa
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7maT2KkfIG
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33zWb1HQ3o
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMMeiKLwJc
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIq9elNzHi
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7wQ5k1v5t
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozBnxraTx5
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUkIp3NSbf
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpHAXIAzaM
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhLx25BwAI
Rover pointed her weapon at the man, a clear warning to stay in place. The man obliged without much resistance, and Rover turned her head to make sure everyone would leave. But then she noticed how Nigel didn't move one inch to that door, and his use of 'we' only just registered in her mind.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffmxRdusdR
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUYY10FDax
"Nigel."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchDvUHfglD
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqmNv0SLax
"Yes?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrTitfWlfy
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkUzdf48j4
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGRcpC37qe
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9li4xkZS6G
"...You're kidding me, certainly."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTFAZbiJPP
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLzYTvFfgI
Rover shook her head back and forth.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavUkvvPeQx
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZaKqCyfxN
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeQRpziEUF
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlv99VexBlQ
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu78zyIGvzX
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTDhC8YnFx
"You fought him before, then?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mnLXos6qd
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIpxLX1vB4
Rover quickly nodded. Nigel looked at the man with a constrained face, balling his hands into shaking fists. After an irritated, almost hopeless sigh, he complied. But not before one final word.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqpQuA5mpH
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbLoxSoDku
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjb5G9O1gEv
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn3vlG1O5s
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRn7CGkQbZ
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxJOcRv3To
"Very well! Don't die on me!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOT6eSXoja
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mgLf5YM4W
His opening words caught Rover like a chain. It reminded her of that moron's scolding, forced her to consider her vow– her earnest word that she'd cooperate –and inquired why she didn't abide by them. But Rover answered that inquiry easily.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShtAeS3bF5
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkf6n8ydP9
This man wasn't just a Bringer. She had a history with him. This man was an enemy. A bipedal wretch, barely human, who boiled her blood and furrowed her brows.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJ2p1Zazmr
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmKphCrpzo
No, now she was certain of it. This monster had to fall to her hands; anyone else would just be a hindrance. So she would take him alone, as she always had.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5E7YWmd5p
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSWteU7Rh8
She looked back one last time, making sure that only she and the man were in the room. Nigel was gone, but to her surprise, there was still another member of the crowd there. He drew particular attention. Standing between the exit, not quite leaving it, with clear indecision festering within.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqJRqVn2sO
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKf7un3iyoL
"Rover," Kenny suddenly shouted. Her eyes moved to his face, constricted and complicated. She was compelled to call it a scowl, but no scorn was in Kenny's face. Only concern, and disappointment.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOdHobhE3y
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdLk6moHMT
Even without hearing it, Rover knew his words. It suddenly was difficult, to see his face like that. Now, the embodiment of that vow was staring directly into her. Not just at her eyes, no– she felt the observation of her soul.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7eWj4hrWK
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8kkMJyt02
"..."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdQrMlUgMi
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dIcA8krNI
It was suddenly difficult to do anything. And yet, the feelings that burned within her formed too great an inferno to douse. If that boy took two steps further into this room, or even one, she felt like she would lash out. She felt like– she knew she would yell at him not to butt in, to mind his own business, to go fuck himself, and to leave her alone. Words that she had slung candidly before. Words that she knew better than family.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lsUAca8zF
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKPZrOb4s9
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwmJnjSzmh
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYEvHgU5yO
"Fine. Good luck!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kjBso8sQJ
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorZOR608OG
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUiFFWkGws
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKSbhL6RkD
**THUD**262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxl5ScwZbqm
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZjXiOfZF2
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUTujeFz97
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKbLZ8qLGC
There came a sudden strike from her front, but it was one that she blocked. She freed her rapier from the struggle and backed away, brandishing her weapon and sliding a leg back into a stance.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUyZOQ03Ov
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmlRTYp427
"Are you ready," the man asked, a boorish smirk on his face. She could almost see the swirls in his eyes, the way they lost any reason, seeing only combat and carnage as they always had.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdF20kPsAm
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8YZRVnJWn
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aHpanUYwP
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgsEMQSP1P
"Come at me, Boris!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KG4pTL5EO
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIqJLPypqr
–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzyW0QqevW
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eXQn1DdYQ
–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNv2aUlSnbl
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEYmbEXLAG
–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoLsuMtw89
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSg8vbkDMki
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5cZ6OkyUt
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2h2AH760zP
Rover knew of their volatile unpredictability. But she was always prepared for it. Even on that street, when they made their audacious announcement, Rover hadn't a shocked bone in her body. But to see Boris utterly defied expectations. She wished she had more time, maybe a moment to sharpen the tip of her rapier, to check the grip on her dagger. But it was too late now, and as she took her first step into battle, she lost all leeway to care.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvu8NRBLY6
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBvK5nomDr
Boris contested her dash. As he charged forth his smaller stature expanded slightly. He leaped forward, but it wasn't to tackle or to grab. He swung his hips and turned ninety degrees, unbending his legs for a sudden drop kick.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4cTsKYe01
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQKGBPCz1B
Rover blocked it with her hands. His increased size made the blow harder to cope with, but she still only slid a foot back. Now on the ground, Rover seized the opportunity to stab at the man. She thrust once, and her sword was met with the sole of his boot.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjtgoNEjnB
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62ZYpp9jhk
"Huh!?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhrqwJIwIO
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntPEvUmnde
He spun onto his belly, catching himself with his hands, using her rapier as a borrowed axel. He pushed himself off the ground with enough force that, even with his lack of leverage, he flew as a battering ram toward her. Rover's rapier nearly snapped under the pressure, but she moved it away before its steel blade turned into a wobbly tube. She ducked Boris' charge, but he grabbed onto her rapier, swinging back around and destroying Rover's balance. Rover, however, had only one hand on that Rapier.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvqPKAOtmS
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXAui9zA0C
"Hah!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUgY4MBYnV
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4A73epspm
She used her other to grab her dagger and stabbed at the man. He took the blow unceremoniously, even growing to lessen it, and she was sure it hurt by the subsequent grunt. He flew off her rapier a solid few meters away, taking Rover's dagger with his body.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJds8ljDdvK
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenIjwU5rYo
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCnYMFbQGK
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvhwbnwDGf
"Here!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAutr8xlUSY
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZjsNDfY9D
Boris dislodged her dagger and he chucked it like a throwing knife. Rover caught it at one of its crossguards, but as she was distracted with doing so, the man performed mana spinning.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZX9bh1X0M
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK0wPP0sND
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYXw1IxyiB
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKp13VfTIy1
"Tch."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgpT7BqHCi
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFLLLr14Pp
Boris returned to his former size. He stroked his chin, tending to his thoughts as he stared down Rover. She afforded him no time and charged forth. She thrust her rapier once, met with a jerk away, and thrust it again. She repeated her thrusts, each of which dodged but less comfortably each subsequent attempt. Rover knew him better, however. She knew that right as she thought she'd get him, he would pull an underhanded trick. So she assumed the eyes of an analyst, narrowing them and gazing at Boris like a hunting cat.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iDpd9HqaN
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0pZEj9JyC
**CLANG**262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gUvwKjgxz
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxOxpDKkX0
And that trick came. Boris caught her thin rapier between his hands, clamping it so fiercely that the metal would snap any moment. But Rover's stance suffered no blow, and poised to strike back, she slung her leg from her side. The blow struck Boris right under the rib, and from his obvious wince, the damage wasn't meaningless.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfDlWgazWH
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡov510D6kSX
She struck again quickly, sliding her rapier out and using the butt of its hilt like a rock, smacking Boris square in the face. Boris reeled from the blow and took a few steps away, but Rover swung her arm back and straightened her Rapier, honing in for a vicious thrust.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8TuCYjRzO
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJbtEVEYNJ
That thrust, however, had been dodged. And the force Rapier stockpiled only sent her tumbling to the ground. She never landed, though, because a sudden fist to the face replaced her embarrassing fall with a punitive flight. She soared across the room, disoriented, anchoring herself on the floor with her Rapier right before colliding with a wall.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycCEYMfAML
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSluq448iJm
As she gathered her bearings, she saw Boris charging forth with a puffed chest. Only, it wasn't puffed, but swollen to inhuman degrees. The image of a bull came to her mind, and for a moment she was paralyzed. But she shook the intimidation off and stepped away, missing a blow that–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQP5o09k8vp
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMUxdRtnmV
**SMASH**262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReIBDWArWw
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUaSRdIFXD
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzSPABCdO1
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WoJ67C2z6
"Ack. Shit!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbS6IVsAAh8
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsKHSpEBx7
Rover realized his reckless gesture was an attempt at an early victory, but she was too energized to fall prey to it, and now Boris was only more hurt.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcplkQksZJ
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy545oIJP51
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxf4Oz0fRLi
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqJczAaJ90
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09o8uULoYy
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26B8EFaygn
"But not enough."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzO4RtU8bc
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZ3ENtVuEP
"--!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5TeteNWuc
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcnAWCJyCj
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBe9BrH8h8O
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9u9PrHb9zn
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdr9bZguUaH
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmw68yZkEkK
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82X91gk0H7
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5t94qy6PXK
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG74AIkqkdm
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFNTWtXo1z
Her jittering mouth couldn't open to respond. So badly did she want to deny it, to call him out for being coy. But to do so, would just be to lie.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6i3u1oVn4f
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPxVBdxMzV
"I remember when you and I first met. Back in those ivory fields, when I offered you a home, you scowled at me and called me scum. That a bringer like me ought "262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQug6n7Up9
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkn2njKPafw
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNpSgrXYhT
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNkbc0uVBv
He smirked. He placed his hands behind his shoulders, closing his eyes. Rover didn't understand what he was doing, and that worried her. That worried her deeply because she thought she knew every trick this monster could pull. She thought she knew every ace up his sleeve, every nook and cranny of his capacity.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZjhOmoXAw
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UDjbhfjIN
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37368B7WCY
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBniuiNzyH
From the back of his shoulders, cylindrical masses of earth formed, taking shapes and morphing as his hands moved outward. His arms stopped just above his chest, and as he lowered his arms, Rover's eyes blew open, her clenched throat vomiting a gasp.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEqhNmgTeJ
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDRy60N2VY
"You talked so much of this goal of yours. Of how you'd beat me. Of how you'd prove yourself to me and all of my colleagues."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdOTOFGglj
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41YzUBunjq
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1Ot3GAK9Z
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTI4HiJTzom
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDGMX9YN4t
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkoCq8De7a
"--Fine!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jXCuO31Xn
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aB0O9OFtb
Though the doubling of his limbs was obviously intimidating, Rover tried not to be dissuaded by his appearance. She charged forth, dagger now firmly in hand. After all, if she fought the new Boris with a stale arsenal, she'd be crushed.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsmGQWIUMh
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA30XJrJiLt
She began with a thrust, and immediately it was caught by one of Boris' earthly arms, not budging an inch. He bent his legs and threw a regular punch at Rover, one she avoided with a backstep. Her rapier was now confiscated, and she watched Boris raise it with his earthen arms.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2dQRmRnXW
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpxxdZlPxP
Something inside urged her to scream in defiance. To yell at that man not to do it, but she pushed that unburied temptation down with a commanding glare. Gazing at Boris as he snapped the rapier like a twig.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZgBm6zruw
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3bzCszDEd
"Well," he asked, "what now?" He threw the split rapier to the side and taunted Rover, daring her to come closer. Rover didn't fall for the taunt, because what she had was not rage– at least, not at the man before her.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJhkegZSu4
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcO8BzV2SUW
Rather, her shaking fists were directed at herself. She raised the dagger and looked at it. Despite its needle-like blade, the curved cross-guards made it a poor tool for thrusting. This was her only weapon. This and her fists, anyway, but if her past had taught her anything, it was that fists were a futile tool against him.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDkmfqqkZs
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjQvsYIswG
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAi4EMCK0NS
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAM0N8ktxwH
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKB6zNtkpfN
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDJI1ILode
Yes, her remaining weapon was better suited to defense. Yes, she was physically weaker than Boris. But if her kit made it so that she lived and died by the presence of her rapier, she would've gone all those years traveling King's Peak for nothing.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDrl1EsiDU
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl68bBrKkSH
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UmTYSfxQZ
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRnfmKMPGf
Her free hand latched onto the strap around her waist, turning it and revealing the satchel that had gone unnoticed by Boris. Unzipping it and reaching for its contents, Rover pulled out an item that made his eyes widen. A thin, elongated, but sturdy vial, one that fits comfortably into Rover's palm.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIwgK9kJcc
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPAPjmV6Jb
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDfcwvnf4q
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWm10btqXr
"Come and find out!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRbRTokk89
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlq2TDjb9Zn
And for the first time in the battle, Boris broke the neutral state, dashing at Rover with arms blazing. A result that came at the worst time possible. Because, although Rover revealed her condition for victory, not a single thought of how to use it came to her mind. And thus, she panicked.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7axcq0wyS
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcwbuz0ylb
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyARkkmWMa7
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjszD15e5S
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9YS1Tb7zX
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tueiYeNBb
Rover dismissed those venomous words. Or at the very least, she tried to, but its potent bite was felt throughout her body like the mountains of sweat her brow was producing. She had no idea what to do. For a moment she doubted that she remembered what the vial even contained. But one look at it, at its orange hue that signified distinct divergence, assured Rover that much.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcOsHfMUYt
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8Wbei3omY
And then, the answer came to her. The wave of panic crashed with the gentle grace of summer water. She stuck the dense vial in her mouth and turned around.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWj7rFysV3q
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05hYZCSA8c
"Finally!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFCtDU9gAB
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaTkuNRgcT
Boris threw his earthen arms directly at her, which Rover dodged. In a bent position, Boris brought both his arms up to uppercut. Rover blocked one fist with her palm and stabbed through the other.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1JQYq946z
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeWI9j7pTx
"--Ack! Shit!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOzJxS37dl
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuxKvpJASa
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SnI5APRSC
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLOZX3ginF
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1OgujMXFF
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQYNv2nzkq
And then a profound smile found itself on her face. He backed away to perform mana spinning potent enough only to close his wound. Those broken fingers were just what she needed.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkb6kQHJ9c
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0YqEfwUEF
She performed a swift dash, closing the gap between Boris and her. He immediately put his earthen arms up as a guard, disjointed just enough from his body to make an attack impossible. Rover thought this sudden focus on defense as suspicious, even as the mana spinning on his hand gave her a reason, so she dared not approach without caution. After all, with how volatile his size changes were, he could–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JtVgWWI0e
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rhGqORKCr
"...!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1dIoiHFX4
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfRFfEb6gw
Her past experience came to the forefront of her mind, and now she observed her reality with a perplexed perspective. He barely altered his size throughout this fight. He stopped only when–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBPcEaFQMA
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdjMcR1PIa
"Ah-ha!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSIdk2PhKl
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Mt8EqAizw
Though her profession of understanding was muffled by the glass between her teeth, it made the rise of her confidence no less explosive. She seemingly threw all caution to the wind, charging forth directly into his earthen arms. Boris dashed away, keeping Rover at a distance, but to no avail. Her speedy struts caught up to his back peddling quickly, and instead of attacking, Rover grabbed the earthen hands.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9zRqKwBu5
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIP0kBCT6n
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGk94lflNOL
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9NACzg7OB
**THUD**262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQP62vrwik
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHw1eftn1x0
"Urk!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocEIJiTIhK
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjH9DuLpH8
Using those arms like a swing, she propelled her feet into Boris' gut. But she didn't stop there. Because there was no better opportunity to do this than now. She pulled the glass right out of her mouth and popped the lid open, throwing it at Boris as she fell to the floor and rolled away.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHZPArADvJ
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWgKz9ld3i
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPXLnZij55
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzobZ5jkWRx
"Huh?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7Y9BMcc2E
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCvGMgjclf
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIumPDr9gkX
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eRlhlzVjc
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI86Dlr9Q9I
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBND3TfopIP
Boris broke into a bellowing laughter. He held his gut not only to soothe the pain but to hold back his chuckles. Rover knew he would've pointed at her had one of his arms not suffered damage, and though that made her bitter, she kept herself composed for the moment.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZW9sMcz2n
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLB7nubMPGf
Boris quit his laughter, wiping a few tears out of his eyes. The orange cloud permeated slowly, so it still was rather thick, but that didn't dissuade Boris from sticking his head in and smelling it like morning air.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHshImM0FCf
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92QF4Uik5M
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeiBVwVZLA
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUhkFsQ6dE
Boris threw his arms wide.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRInSCi5RPo
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISef1vqHos
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwob5c3cSRR
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wMaF53Fq6
In a flash, as he spoke, as the spit flew out of his face, and as the lids of his eyes closed to blink, he raised his leg one step forward. With that leg, his body followed right after, crashing into the dust of orange, spreading it just far enough that it contacted the earthen arms.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0UrhhynPc
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRViinoGl9F
And then the magic happened.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5khi6yEI4Y
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7whfPYOdDx
**BOOM**262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhK5mnQ9Mb
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcszrkFwA2I
That cloud of dust erupted with volcanic ferocity, an explosion so small, yet so extreme that Rover struggled to keep her footing. A great cloud of smoke took the place of Boris' body, and Rover looked on with the slimiest grin she had ever worn.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXypLhwv9EB
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GgRhk3z0K
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOV8zEYu9UU
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVS234dFtZ
She stood up and wiped whatever junk found itself on her shoulder. She approached the site of the explosion, and just like in her memories, it was near heatless. She didn't get too close, however. Just close enough to see Boris' crisps, when that cloud of dust would eventually fade.
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrJ6MDu7Nl
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Wr4Q5BwpA
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1aKqaMb0S
And indeed, that cloud of dust faded. It faded rather fast. But then Rover realized it wasn't that the dust faded. Rather, something had stolen its spot.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYT2D0CfWN
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKha2IDYxQ
The arm of a titan, reaching out for her, with its open palm like a claw. Rover's instincts forced her body to dash away. Then she stood and watched. Watched as a hulking mass exited the site of the explosion.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3672ismvt
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6XHtdGtni
Then, it shrunk.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbFoyBZIog
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeohCq1mPB
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZsWu7dIU5
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnE0hxiy76W
Boris' robes were gone. Cinders, undeniably. Then was the leather armor Rover knew he always wore. That was gone too. The only article of clothing that remained were his pants, and even they were hardly intact. He was covered in burns blistered the likes of which she'd never seen, and his earthen arms were now missing. By all strings of reasoning, Rover should've dashed in and dealt the final blow. But she couldn't.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinT7jW7oiW
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjqjQKWNfm
Come to think of it, it was the first time she'd seen a part of his body aside from his face. And now she felt as if she just discovered a new man. Because all around Boris' torso was a carpet of gaping, sporadic holes.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhfDltzRRF
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9JjMvBiEw
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZocS083Q0
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaPi5m2xDC
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1Eb9tzVFq
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfplfUn0pO
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCsNBbG4Fa
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0sftCgg00
Boris raised his unbroken arm. He began mana spinning, forming a brick of earth in his hand. And then, from the large hole centered at his navel, the very same brick spewed out and plummeted to the ground.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuMIFqWD3O
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3AOdCVUtZ
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Hes5qj9bB
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9hjwlMskG
"Those arms I formed made for a dandy shield, wouldn't you say? Though of course, you hit me in the last place it spawned. Lucky you."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6muQGrLS4
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUYmhjnOyX
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGT7JJkG0ws
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EXsVtKD0Q
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxeTIMrkq8
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlI11UNWNn
He dropped the brick in his hand right as another spewed out. He wound his arm, as if to stretch it, then gazed at Rover with the eyes of a monster.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnph7eJffG
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEDwX449Nc
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjix7Wj2D3
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mqNmhYNz0
"...Freak."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7w2yBqJWtR
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAV6u20vykx
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPECsLy4RL
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4DS5pESwd
"And just look at how right I was."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Br775JjIH
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDeCc70ang
A hearty chuckle came from him.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSXMZzzKaP
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TXxXuF6D1
"Well, that won't do you any good."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiz20COkd1
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstwZjbi1oi
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatiCySegAp
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehPhTed6pL
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJUo562OfN
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3j4mUMuZK
She put one leg forward.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwGgX4LYDD
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqW0LXPFkb
"You've got brains since the last time we met. At least, more than I expected. You used them well. You're still worth keeping around."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPItU1JYxpq
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOse8FEp4m
Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhak7ezXxM
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3DoguPnDa
"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpgrawF7vV
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rAV7wsa7O
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUdJpJRqdg
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdcAHFqFNo
–
–
–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebRH11KB6s
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEuhODa07b
–From an onlooker's perspective, Rover could see why she'd get concerned stares. Even though her body locomoted tactfully in the fight, the windows to her mind made contorted, bemused shapes. And the removal of her dagger compounded that contortion.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGg0ADiS9om
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktSA02u96s
She threw a fist forward. It was slapped away by Boris, and he attempted a counterattack. Rover tucked her head just in time, and with the tiny space between her skull and his arm, she jumped. Boris avoided a dislocation, but Rover kept the assault with a kick from the side. It was blocked by his other hand. She slipped away just before it got caught, and using her right leg like an anchor, delivered a flurry of kicks at Boris, who went to block them.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUqy21smGI
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mLlHZtAo4
–Rover's kicks were laced. Whether it hampered or bolstered them wasn't something she knew or cared about. At some point, she forgot all about the process of kicking, her mind wandering to holes in her gut. The oozing pastries behind the glass, unable to snatch that gilded stash.
Boris quit his consecutive parries, realizing that such a task was a fool's game. He backed away, which took a moment to compute with Rover, and Boris used that moment to charge in and deliver a quick blow. Rover fortunately blocked it, and as she didn't slide across the room, she had ample leverage to pull a maneuver. She spread her arms and wrapped them around Boris, turning around and putting it over her shoulder. Boris was bigger than her, but that mattered little with her strength. She threw him onto the ground, and his back's unceremonious clash with the floor made its effects apparent on his face. However, Boris pointed his vacant hand at her and out came a burst of wind. Rover didn't have the reflexes to dodge at such a short range and went flying across the room.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPuZPfUx4z
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREKzBwbGsl
–Those morphing cakes reeked of red. Its verdant smell commanded her to smash the glass, but she was smarter than that. She knew that if she broke the shield, she'd lose on the spot. And that couldn't happen. Her blood boiled to steam. Her teeth ground themselves to powder. It was inevitable, seeing as that's how it always went.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAAUfkJ37c
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1688UC4JK
Boris jumped up from the floor right as Rover landed on it. She struggled to get back on her feet, as the blow from his spell sent her head into a frenzy, but she made do with her wobbly knees. Boris charged forth and tackled with his shoulder. Rover tried to block it, and though she avoided any serious damage, she was swept off her feet yet again. Boris followed with a kick, but right as his foot was about to connect, another gust of wind blew from his chest. It saved Rover from a painful blow and sent Boris soaring away, but the edges of the gust still connected, and she was back on the floor.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxw7kl3IOBy
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XnZLuT7OK
–When things get at arm's length, they become untouchable. But the obstacle isn't always a protective pane of glass. Sometimes it's a shelf, one just high enough so it's out of your reach. Rover jumped for years, but every time her legs grew stronger, or her arms grew longer, the shelf grew with her, but always a little more. Eventually, her fiddling fingertips couldn't even brush it.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJfnmnkFvM
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPDriGuOY2
Rover fought yet again to get her feet to the ground. She wiped her mouth with her arm and spat out blood-infused spit. She must've cut her inner cheek.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoSQX8AvaO
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9C7JoT9Y1M
Boris was far away from her, but charing with full awareness. His pace slugged from before, it was clear to Rover that the explosion still affected him. She used that thought to muster her remaining strength and met Boris' charge head-on. The two entered a series of throwing and avoiding fists, and Rover's superior speed gave her an edge. She landed blows square in the chest, and as she hit his pores, they immediately constricted. Rover cared little as to what that meant and kept bashing, but then Boris landed a fist into her cheek. She rolled with the hit as well as she could before rounding back with her strongest punch yet. It landed right into Boris' palm. He twirled his arm, a clear attempt to break Rover's own, but she had experience with such tricks. She put her free hand onto Boris' and jumped, countering his rotation with her own, and kicking him in the head. But Boris didn't release his grasp, and instead threw Rover up and punted her gut.
–There was almost no doubt in her mind of what would happen. It was inevitable, in spite of her struggle. She was going to lose. Would she die? She knew Boris well enough, and so she knew she wouldn't. But to her, no future existed beyond the time of her loss. No prospects are had at the precipice of failure. It was like the blackness of recollecting one's memory as a fetus. But if these rotten thoughts were all that were within her, then maybe she could've squeezed out a tie.
Rover fell to the ground, wheezing and panting, remnants of her stomach escaping from her mouth. She expected an immediate attack and braced herself, but such an attack never came–
**THUD**262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSuTSPXmpe
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhwMuIku11
Rover ate a kick to the face. She rolled across the ground but stopped herself quickly. Her right eye was covered in red, but she could see Boris even through a blizzard. He stomped to her, but Rover didn't move. She reached into the sheath and grabbed the hilt of her dagger, and right as Boris was in range to attack, she threw the weapon at her.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplATzFzTY7
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5owjIG1XjO
–There were chains around her arms, doubts in and out of hiding, pouncing and making escapes with military expertise. There was guilt in her limbs, the ones she used to seal the oath she carelessly shattered. There was anger in her stomach, the one that was always there, residing like a parasite but pulsing now as if it was bound to burst. There was sorrow in her heart, the one she used to fuel words about things she just didn't understand. The one she used to hope. But one affliction was chief among them all.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbF5TENuqok
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMERO3X7dO
Boris was caught off guard, but not as much as Rover hoped. He just raised one of his arms and let the dagger pierce right through. Boris' screaming was nearly musical to her. Blood leaked from the edges; it was clear the dagger was like a clog. But even so, Boris pulled the dagger out of his arm and sealed the blood-spewing hole with his fingers, performing mana spinning.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjm7R0nXVP
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAUQipLJnx
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hjiDkrgML
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaGeBvAyXL
Rover tried to get up and attack. After all, he was right in front of her, making himself vulnerable. She tried, and she was able to get her upper body off the floor, but Boris kept her down with another kick to the chin. Any strength to rise departed, and all Rover could do was watch as Boris approached.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2R7WUgKOC
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1n1DJuWGH
"What a shame. For you, of course. This is the closest you've ever gotten, but you didn't have that extra push."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCnYepmMDv
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUmNjGoRgf
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRDU2uju3s
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquZQUEBJze
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQRK3DrM0o
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TVRQvysyR
"You... ass."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmchlUJGBn
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0GkX2AckK
Boris stopped before her legs, staring at them while pinching his chin. Rover couldn't begin to imagine what was going on in his head. But she kept on scowling, even hissing at him as if the action would deter him at all.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvJaVnmz6X
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurFcjOjRJF
"You're not crawling away?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1n8lh1BHO
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3DYSUSOKk
"...I'm not a damn worm."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvp3auPtssE
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5StTTZH3dn
"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqtmCoeNsj
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabc0YrlFmF
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2me9wdvhdL
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULxJoq3xuy
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBsrIUIeZt
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2dAoPLS2B
He grabbed her left leg by the ankle, and as he did so, he began mana expulsion. He formed a great club of earth in his hand and walked over to her hip. Immediately, Rover knew what was going to happen. She moved her arm in an attempt to slap it away, but her hands couldn't reach him.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fedU6vfcv
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3PjS5M2Eo
But, she still tried. As Boris raised the club above his head, the corners of her eyes were taken by darkness. More and more area, subjugated by black until only the very center of her pupils had the ability to look. They stared at the club, as it stood motionless above his head, and she knew any second it would come down, and she knew any second she would be made a fool.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSJyIxECH3
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡey3HcdEvYl
And she couldn't do a thing.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvyOcC1utR
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43SuvXCbrB
–Frustration. It was her frustration. The object of her long-lived hatred, its ambassador stood right there. But she was being beaten down like a dog. An injured mutt who had to limp on all but one of its legs, even unable to beg. At the edge of achieving her dream, her ultimate goal, she was forced to watch it slip further and further away. And then she realized, she couldn't destroy Hard-Bringer. And then she realized, she couldn't even scratch it. And then she realized, she'd have to wait again, and then train again, and then search again, and then despair again. And as the final blow of the battle came, only two words sprung from her mind:262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUGkiXaQZ9
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgZorcl3t4
Sorry, mom–262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdFsEPRi0r
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfhTGKy4wN
**CRACK**262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK25Nh24OWz
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxH3v4lcjIU
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr4ZdALsHI
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwjte1RdrX
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCLaQf0NLI
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqJ8gqP9JA
"And there goes your leg."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhLoelNsbW
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvggtMHppE0
She knew of no word to describe the sensation. Seething, writhing, pounding, shocking,
burning, aching, twitching, pulsing, churning– nothing came to her mind to describe it. The shattering of her femur, shooting fragments of bone like shrapnel to the lining of her skin, but not enough to pierce it. As if dozens of bugs drilled through her flesh, as if an entire home landed on her leg– that's what it was like.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVp4tAsOWtD
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8trOqsLFKV
"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxSiLApCiL
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhX102F00D
She couldn't even move to clutch her leg, to soothe it in any way. The most she could do was groan and yell and grit her teeth, but none of that was possible at once, and when her focus got captivated by his words the way it did, the pain exponentiated.
"Dogs like you– they like to hunt alone. But the moment they face something threatening, they bite just short of drawing blood. Maybe then, you're a defective wolf."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwsSuxDkiw
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn44dhNwxiB
Boris uncrouched and stepped away as a club of earth spat from a pore. He was clearly haggard, limping as he walked away, hardly able to move one leg before the other. That was the only consolidation Rover was afforded; a tiny solace within the sea of agony.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2sW8Uow8t
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeBnvcGJf0
But those words of his stole it away.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLfwFOasTv
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5nWfPSnby
"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDwDcm9bjv
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQVI8Y7NUN
Boris continued limping away until he reached the wall. Then, reeling his fist back, he smashed the glass panes open. He looked down and whistled before turning around and looking at Rover.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKMYxZioax
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjEYvBJnnI
She wanted to scream, but all the efforts of her throat and lungs were channeled to ease her suffering. And oh, how she hated it. How she hated the grin of his face, an arrangement of his teeth and mouth designed for eating feces. He waved her goodbye and jumped off while cackling like a witch.262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0zdKekVlt
262Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHPD9anqgJ
No strength to draw, no will to push. All Rover could do was lay there and cope, lamenting her loss and that wretched monster's words.
